Florida Strawberry Cupcakes

Ingredients

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees if using the homemade recipe (if using store bought, follow package instructions). Prepare cupcake batter using box mix or homemade recipe provided, then fold in the diced strawberries. Line a cupcake pan with liners and set aside. Evenly divide the batter in the liners (about two-thirds full) do not overfill. Bake for about 16 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Set aside to cool completely. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Melt the dark chocolate over a double boiler on low heat, stirring often. Dip each strawberry in the melted chocolate, two-thirds of the way up, allow excess to drip off. Place berries on the baking sheet and refrigerate until chocolate is set. In a small pot over medium-low heat combine the reserved 1/2 cup diced strawberries, cornstarch, lemon juice and sugar. Cook, while stirring, until a sauce has formed, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Once cool, use a blender to create a puree. In a medium-sized bowl add the frosting and the puree. Gently swirl together and do not over mix. Fill a pastry or sandwich bag with the frosting and frost the cupcakes. Top with a chocolate dipped strawberry.

Homemade Cupcake Batter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the cupcake liners in the cupcake pan and set aside. To prepare the batter sift all the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix in the softened butter until it looks crumbly (the butter does not have to be fully incorporated). In a separate bowl, whisk the wet ingredients together and add this mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring to combine. Next, fold in one cup of the diced strawberries. Using an ice cream scoop, evenly divide the batter into the liners (about two-thirds full) do not overfill. Bake for about 16 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Cool completely before frosting.